Jazz orchestra gives interactive performance
Lola Shrimplin
Posted: 2/5/07
Associate Provost Alfred Cochran could barely contain his excitement when talking about the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra performance Saturday night at McCain Auditorium.
Playing a CD of Jim McNeely's music, he swayed and tapped his foot, closing his eyes as he listened.
McNeely was the resident composer and pianist that night.
Cochran spoke in McCain 204 before the concert to about 11 people, explaining what they would hear that night and how it differed from music played at other jazz concerts.
McNeely's "Up From the Skies," was more of an audience participation type of music, as opposed to music that just washes over the audience, Cochran said.
The title of the album, as well as the first track, was taken from a Jimi Hendrix tune, he said.
Playing several tracks from the album, Cochran spoke of the stratification of elements in the music, as well as the need for the audience to participate in listening.
"You really need to hook onto it," he said.
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra began under the name the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1966, according to the band's Web site.
After the death of Lewis in 1990, the band continued as a cooperative effort, the site states.
The band has been nominated for two Grammy awards, one for best large jazz ensemble and the other for best arrangement for "Up From the Skies."
McNeely also wrote the song "We Will Not Be Silenced," about the events surrounding Sept. 11 and the Iraq war.
Remaining down-to-Earth was something he strived for, and the awards were for other people to give, McNeely said.
"You can't lose sight of your humanity," he said.
In front of approximately 200 people, the band performed for nearly two hours, with an intermission between two sets.
The audience applauded when the brass section began but was drowned out by the music.
On the drums, John Riley provided a subtle background while the different musical instruments each vied for the audience's attention.
The stratification of elements Cochran spoke of was obvious, as the orchestra with trumpets, trombones, saxophones and other brass instruments - as well as a bass and piano - each mixed to provide a wall of sound.
"Up From the Skies," the title track, drew the largest reaction from the fans, with music from the brass section interrupting the flow of the orchestra. Cochran compared the sound to the feeling one gets when ingesting LSD.
"I have the hope that the audience that comes here tonight has a sense of what they are getting," Cochran said.
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